


Pillars of Salt and Pillars of Sand

by anr



Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-18
Updated: 2009-04-18
Packaged: 2017-11-05 15:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anr/pseuds/anr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Peter and Claire saved the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pillars of Salt and Pillars of Sand

She breathes again on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, Peter's hands flat on her abdomen and his mouth brushing her neck, her body slowly reknitting itself, one bone at a time.

"Did we..." her voice is breathless, lungs still healing, and she has to force the words out, "the city..."

He nods, his cheek rubbing against hers. "We did."

She can see flames in the distance, fire licking at the edges of skyscrapers, and she shudders. "Are you sure?"

Storm clouds roll in without warning, the sky suddenly darkening as a chilling wind sweeps around them, rain following a heartbeat later.

His lips touch her ear. "I'm sure."

  


* * *

  


She wakes to the sound of the phone ringing and fumbles blindly until she can find the cell and silence the incessant blare. "... what?"

"... Claire?"

Groaning, she drops the cell behind her. "It's for you," she says, "Mohinder."

The mattress moves as he finds the phone and rolls onto his back, his arm withdrawing from around her waist, and she follows him sleepily, turning over and curling up against his side. He drapes his arm behind her as he says things like, _yeah_ , and _where_ , and _okay_ , his hand sliding across her shoulders, down her spine, and she's almost asleep again when he ends the call, tossing the cell.

"We gotta go," he says softly, pressing the words against the crown of her head.

She keeps her eyes closed. "We just got _back_." Less than six hours ago, in fact -- she's pretty sure her liver is still regenerating.

"Mmm." His hand flexes against her skin, fingers tracing a random pattern. "I know."

She sighs. "Five minutes?"

He nods. "Five minutes."

The world can wait that long.

  


* * *

  


They return to the apartment at sunset, shadows slipping across his windows and walls as he sets them down on the balcony, guiding her inside with his palm in the small of her back, warm and familiar.

"Seriously, never?"

"Nope." He goes straight to the fridge, passing her the milk as she slips behind him, heading for the kettle. "That was definitely a first."

She grabs two mugs, spooning in coffee, watching as the water slowly begins to heat and boil. "Not even in one of your dreams?"

He shakes his head, still staring into the fridge. "If I had, I think it would have classified as a nightmare. But, still, no."

"Huh." Tapping the spoon against the rim of her mug absently, she reaches for the sugar. "Cool."

"Cool?" he repeats, finally grabbing a selection of cold cuts and salad fixings. "Really? A twelve foot high wall of _lava_?"

She rolls her eyes and hands him the loaf of bread, nudging his hip with her own. "You know what I mean."

He smiles, nudging back. "I know what you mean."

The kettle boils.

  


* * *

  


He kisses her in the dark aftermath, the blackout rippling out from where they stand in the shadows of the warehouse, his hand in her hair, on her hip, her arms linked around his neck, mouth parting, moving, beneath his and the stars slowly burning too bright above them.

She's never felt more exposed in her life.

  


* * *

  


A dozen countries, countless States and cities, and here they are again in Odessa, right back where it all began. She laughs.

"Something funny?"

She nods and looks down at him, his legs outstretched and head tipped back, eyes closed, as he lounges on the amphitheatre steps because, for once, they're actually early. " _Save the cheerleader, save the world_ ," she quotes, a little sarcastically, and he grins.

"Full circle's a bitch sometimes, yeah."

"Pain in the ass, more like." She kicks at a discarded soda can and watches it clatter down the steps, the noise echoing. "Just how many times are you planning on saving me anyway?"

He shrugs. "Many as it takes, I guess." He cracks open one eye and stares at her. "Unless you're suddenly thinking maybe I shouldn't...?"

She _has_ thought it (at least once or twice a year since they first met), but that's then and this is now, and right now? "Nah." She drops down onto the step beside him and sighs. "Just, you know." _Fucking Sylar_ , she thinks, and Peter nods and sits up, his shoulder bumping hers. "Tired, is all."

For a moment there is quiet. "We'll go somewhere," he says then, "after this? We'll get away. Take a break."

He means it, she thinks, and she smiles at him, loving him just that little bit more for it. In the distance, someone screams (her? Jackie? someone else entirely? it's been too long -- she can't remember all the details) and he gets to his feet.

"Ready?" he asks, and she rolls her eyes but accepts his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her up.

They won't get away, not properly. They'll go somewhere, sure, but then Hiro will jump in, or Matt or Angela will call, and they'll be back on the road, on the fly, saving the world for just one more day all over again.

If she's learnt anything over the past seven years, it's that. No vacations, no schedules, and definitely no notice. Peace is always fleeting, someone always needs saving, and happiness is just moments, just five extra minutes in the past, sitting on the steps of her old high school, watching Peter smile.

He smiles at her now, and she squeezes his hand. "Here we go again," she says ruefully, and hears him laugh, just quickly, before he teleports out to get into position.

Rolling her shoulders back, she faces forward and thinks, _Hawaii, I've never been to Hawaii_ , and hears, in the back of her mind, him promise to take her. She smiles.

And the door slams open again. 

  


* * *

The End

**Author's Note:**

> ORIGINAL URL: <http://anr.livejournal.com/342318.html>


End file.
